User:Sps 2002/WMTU2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

< User:Sps 2002

WMTU

Broadcast area	Houghton
Branding	WMTU-FM Houghton 91.9
Frequency	91.9 (MHz)
First air date	on FM in 1994
Format	Variety/Educational
ERP	100 watts
Class	C3
Callsign meaning	W Michigan Technological University
Owner	Michigan Technological University
Website	http://wmtu.mtu.edu

WMTU-FM Houghton 91.9 is a student-run college radio station located on the campus of Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. The station, which is located within the basement of Wadsworth Hall, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the regular school year with an abbreviated schedule at all other times. The official station ID is WMTU-FM Houghton.

1 Station Programming
2 History
3 Concerts
4 External links

Station Programming

WMTU currently runs seventy programs, all of which are staffed by volunteers who apply at semesterly DJ meetings. Primetime slots are generally allocated based upon seniority, volunteer work at the station, and uniqueness of programming offered. All programming decisions are made by the Program Director and the Broadcast Supervisor, both positions elected yearly by WMTU's General Staff.

WMTU is known for allowing DJs to present an eclectic mix of music of their choice without any prescribed playlisting. Commerical free programming including [[Heavy metal music|metal]], hip hop, techno, [[Punk rock|punk]], indie, classic rock, electronica, Americana, noise, industrial, and eclectic variety are all represented under WMTU's current programming schedule.

The Local Music Show airs every Saturday evening from 5-7pm. This program specializes in presenting a variety of local music offerings new and old, mixing both recordings and the occasional live, in-studio performance. Local artists that have performed on air include Erik Koskinen, Sycamore Smith, Flashing Red Airplane, and Carp.

The DJ of the Week program each Saturday afternoon from 2pm-5pm. It allows listners to hear WMTU's best and brightest up and comers while giving the programming and broadcasting departments the chance to evaluate the musical selections and general style of newer DJs.

Spotlight on... airs Saturday afternoon from Noon-2pm. This program, usually hosted by a current WMTU DJ, presents two hours of studio favorites and rarities from one of the DJs favorite artists.

History

1956 - WVRW (Voice of Radio, Wadsworth), the precursor to WMTU, begins broadcasting as a carrier current AM station.

1958 - WVRW changes its callsign to WRS (Wadsworth Radio Service), to show that it now serves all dormitories on campus.

1975 - WRS changes its callsign to WMTU

1977 - WMTU begins broadcasting as a cable FM station via the local cable television system.

1979 - WMTU converts to a 24-hour format, with 3-hour shows.

1993 - WMTU receives an FM broadcasting license from the FCC.

1994 - WMTU begins over-the-air broadcasting from a tower atop the Mechnical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics building on the Michigan Tech campus with an effective radiated power of 100 watts.

1998 - WMTU begins broadcasting via RealAudio, utilizing a Helix server located in the basement of Michigan Tech's Electrical Engineering Resources Center (EERC).

2004 - Rennovations to Wadsworth Hall resulted in a move from the original location next to the Tri-Hall Weight Club to a temporary location near the Campus Cafe.

2005 - The FCC approved a request for WMTU to move its transmitter to a university-owned tower atop Mt. Ripley. This move will allow WMTU to upgrade its power from 100 watts to 4400 watts effective radiated power, providing coverage to all of campus as well as many of the surrounding communities.

2005 - WMTU returned to its original location, now sporting a new "storefront" look along with nearly triple the music storage space, at the beginning of the Fall semester. Rennovations have also resulted in a "commons" area outside of the station, used for small concerts and other activities, along with a room which the WMTU staff uses for weekly meetings.

Concerts

Concerts space has been provided to WMTU by the Campus Cafe (the Wads Annex), the McArdle Theatre (the Black Box), the Memorial Union Building commons, the Suburban Exchange, the ExUrban, the Level 2 Skate Park, and a commons area outside of WMTU's current location.

The Copper Country Crush-a-Thon, established 2002, is an annual metal festival sponsored by WMTU. The day-long show allows the students of [[Michigan Technological University|Michigan Tech]] and the surrounding communities the opportunity to see live black, death, and [[Speed metal|speed]] metal alongside of punk rock and [[Hardcore punk|hardcore]]. The Crush-a-Thon has presented a number of bands from around the United States including Summon, Summer Dying, Dumah, the Chasm, Oddity, Eternal Silence, Usurper, Azrael, Autumnal Wind, Tower of Babel, Undo Tomorrow, Carnivale, Days Go By, Domain Malevolence, Off Kilter, the Miscreants, Enrapture, Forest of Impaled, AllOddsAgainst, Conceived by Fire, Sadomasochism, sah, and Militionary.

Other local, regional, and national touring acts WMTU has presented live in concert include Wesley Willis, Small Brown Bike, the Gunshy, Starlight Drifters, Poster Children, Juice, Heiruspecs, Great Lakes Myth Society, Sycamore Smith, Quixote, the Blend, the Crest, Modill, [[The Show Is The Rainbow|the Show is the Rainbow]], the Mae Shi, [[the Mercury Program]], Squirtgun, the Athletic Mic League, Calumet-Hecla, the National Bummer, Breathe Smoke, Kristin Forbes, the Saurus, AtomBombPocketKnife, Kid Brother Collective, Chiodos, Kinetic Stereo Kids, Soma 220, Liquid Sun, Erik Koskinen, Switch, Tall Drink of Water, Milton, Minus, Hell Town Trio, Fried Chinese Donalds, Old Victoria, Nobody Likes a Tricycle, Vsepr, and the Pisst-Off Androids.